Greece on Wednesday battled to contain more than 20 wildfires including one menacing its third-largest city Patras as a heatwave stoked blazes and forced the evacuation of thousands in southern Europe.

Firefighters are battling several wildfires in Greece as a scorching heatwave wreaks havoc across southern Europe. In the past 24 hours alone, more than 152 new fires have broken out across Greece - and thousands of people have been evacuated. Around 4,850 firefighters are engaged in a multi-front battle to contain the flames.

Three men died and thousands were forced from their homes as wildfires fuelled by a heatwave scorched southern Europe.